The winning margin could have been far greater but in the end a single goal by youngster Jordan Cook was enough to beat SPL club Hibernian at the Stadium of Light yesterday.

The Sunderland side was again a mixture of experience and youth. Long-term injury victims Stephen Wright and Kenny Cunningham got a full 90 minutes under their belts while Tommy Miller played for the first half only.

The first-year Academy youths, together with Andy Welsh, dominated the attacking third in the second period with outstanding performances from Michael Kay and Nathan Luscombe in midfield after coach Kevin Richardson had changed things around at the interval.

Welsh provided most of the first-half chances, with striker Josh Home-Jackson and Martin Waghorn both going close. But it was in the second half that the hosts really turned the screw. The experienced back four was very solid, which allowed the youngsters in midfield and up front to play their superb passing game and really take the match to the Scots.

A determined run by full-back Wright taking him past three men in the 50th minute finished with a left-foot shot that drifted wide.

Second half substitute Nathan Luscombe from Gateshead was playing well in midfield, combining well with Welsh down the left side and winning the ball cleanly with several crunching tackles.

The winning goal came in the 68th minute. Hibs central defender McCaffrey's pass out of defence went straight to Cook. The defender tried to redeem his error with a partial block but Cook's strike still carried enough power to nestle just inside the post.

Two minutes later, a great one-two between Jordan Henderson saw Michael Kay's angled drive force a fine save and then Waghorn's left-footed strike was just wide as Sunderland upped the pressure.

Before the final whistle, both Luscombe and Kay forced more superb saves from Malkowski and Waghorn could have scored a hat-trick with more composure and accuracy.

But Sunderland nearly always had the upper hand in an entertaining game and were worthy winners.